BRENDAN RODGERS has landed the first signing of Celtic’s January transfer window – a deal that has been weeks in the making.
Nicolas Kuhn becomes the first new recruit this month on a deal from Rapid Vienna in a £3million deal.
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The 24-year-old winger could be in line for a Scottish Cup debut against Buckie Thistle after penning his deal and hooking up with his Hoops team-mates at Lennoxtown.
It has been a quiet start to the transfer dealing month so far at Celtic Park with Rodgers focused on bringing in ready-made recruits, rather than project players.
And highly-rated Kuhn is the first of what fans hope will be several signings they’ll see on the pitch in the months to come.
SunSport first revealed on January 2 that the £3million-valued attacker was on the Hoops radar.
He has seen his worth multiply in Austria since a £500,000 move there from Bayern Munich in summer 2022.
Fans have welcomed the boss’ approach for short-term quality to complement the longer-term vision for progressing players’ development and Kuhn is the first step in raising the level of the Parkhead squad.
Back in November Rodgers explained the policy and January approach.
He said: “The club’s strategy is to bring in young players and we have done that during the last window. The likes of Yang Hyun-jun and Odin Thiago Holm will show up very well in the future.
“But I have also said, strategically, that we need quality. And that’s something, hopefully, over the coming years we can improve on.
“The notion now is to make sure we bring in better. You can get good players in January. But it’s availability and affordability.
“But there is no doubt that if we’re to enhance the squad in January then we’ll need to bring in someone who is going to improve us.”
That man, so far, is Kuhn who has previously had spells with Ajax and RB Leipzig as well with Bundesliga big guns Bayern.
He won’t meet all of his team-mates initially though.
Five Hoops players are currently on international duty at the Asian Cup with the possibility some could be missing right through until mid-February which is another cue for Rodgers to raid the transfer market for ready-made stand-in and selection rivals.
The reigning SPFL champions have also been linked with Aberdeen striker Bojan Miovksi, Tiago Araujo of Estoril and Liverpool‘s Owen Beck.
However Scotland defender Scott McKenna – a former favourite of Rodgers’ – is not believed to be on the shopping list this month.